Risotto With Smoked Mozzarella and Escarole

Risotto With Smoked Mozzarella and Escarole
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 30 minutes
Rating
4(382)
Comments
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Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey brought this recipe to The Times in 1988, when a properly-made risotto was still a relatively new dish for the home cook. It would make a wonderful meatless main dish or as an accompaniment to roast chicken or grilled steak.

Featured in: FOOD; BUON APPETITO!

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2cups finely shredded escarole
  • 2tablespoons butter
  • cup finely chopped onion
  • 1pound Arborio rice, available in specialty food shops, about 2⅓ cups
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • 4cups simmering fresh or canned chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt to taste, if desired
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • pound smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes, about 1½ cups
  • ¼cup olive oil
  • ¼cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

769 calories; 32 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 48 grams protein; 914 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the escarole and set it aside.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is wilted. Add the escarole and cook until it is wilted. Add the rice and cook, stirring, about one minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, about two minutes, or until the wine is absorbed.

  3. Step 3

    Add the simmering broth, salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring often from the bottom, about eight minutes. Add the mozzarella cheese and olive oil. Cook one minute and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Cook, stirring from the bottom, about three to five minutes.

Ratings

4 out of 5
382 user ratings
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Comments

A pretty typical risotto recipe. Don't worry about the liquid volume...just add as much as needed until the arborio is either tender or al dente as you like it. I maintained the onion and escarole measurement but cut the arborio by half. LIke a large baked ham for two, that much risotto would be the definition of eternity. By cutting the arborio in half you increase the proportion of vegetable and cut the carb.

I lived in Milan for several years & even in Italy they debate this! Some say throw in all the liquid at once, others bit by bit! Once you have an exact recipe it is entirely up to you. I find the most important is that initial 30-60 seconds stirring the rice gently in the oil/butter before adding liquid.

Proportions of rice and liquid are off, but otherwise an excellent combination of flavors. For a main course with generous servings for 2, we used 1 1/3 cups rice and about 4 cups of stock. Used full amount of onions, escarole, and cheese in the recipe. Also added one small link Italian sausage, browned and crumbled.

Used less rice. Use 1 1/2 cups not 2 cups

I just made this, using half the rice, as others had recommended. Used only a splash of olive oil at the end; everything else was the same. The smoked mozzarella adds a nice depth to the flavor. Absolutely delicious!

Followed the recipe as written, however mine needed an extra cup of water. The result was sumptuous, with slightly al dente rice. Next time, I'll double the escarole and onion, as some have noted. I'm excited to use the leftovers tomorrow night. I'll make arancini (risotto balls) or Risotto al Salto (crispy rice pancake)--yum!

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